Can't I Not Exist?
by FacelessTwins
Summary: Preston Northwest is a nerdy, shy individual who finds himself in love with two people. Out of sheer terrible luck, he ends up getting paired with them for a science project and his dad has decided to pay a surprise visit. This AU takes place in modern times. Contains: Adorable Preston, PreStanwitch, and Authors (a.k.a. us). Plus a few other characters from TV shows and animes.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Preston's alarm blared in his ears. He groaned and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He reached over to the alarm and hit the snooze button. Preston stretched out his arms, cracking a yawn. He blinked a few times, squinting to see past the blurriness in front of him **[1]**. He reached over on his nightstand, feeling for his thick, black, square glasses. Once he got a hold of them, he picked them up and placed them snugly on his face.

He got up off his bed and shuffled over to his dresser, pulling out his cloths for the day; which consisted of blue jeans and a gray shirt that had a terrible, romantic, science pun on it. He put them on and walked over to his closet, yellow light peeking out from the small crack in the, slightly a jarred, door.

While he never will admit it, he wasn't a huge fan of the dark. It terrified him. With him not able to see very well in the first place, the dark just makes him feel blind.

Preston began to search through many different jackets.

Sophia, his mother **[2]** , joked that he had one for every day of the week.

He paused at a few jackets, debating on if he should wear it, then deciding against it. He finally settled on a dark green one. He grabbed it and put it on.

He walked over to his bedroom door and put on his untied, white, sneakers that were tucked beside his desk **[3]**. He did a double take to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, glancing around the room. He raised an eyebrow "Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something?" he asked himself, gnawing at his bottom lip in thought. He snapped his fingers "Phone," he mumbled. He walked over to his nightstand and unplugged his fully charged phone, placing it in his jacket pocket.

Preston exited his room and made his way downstairs into the kitchen as quietly as possible. He had to pass his little sisters room and didn't want to wake her if she wasn't already awake.

He smiled lightly, seeing his mother up and making him eggs. She gave him a wide smile "Good morning," she greeted. Preston returned the smile "Morning," he said, taking a seat at the table. Sophia, placed a plate of eggs in front of him "Did Paz wake you up?" **[4]** Preston asked. Sophia chuckled "That easy to tell?" she asked. Preston looked around the newly cleaned kitchen searching for his little sister, Pacifica, who was nowhere to be found.

"I take it you put her to bed?" he asked. Sophia nodded "Yep. Can't have a little three-year-old running amuck in the early morning," she replied. Preston downed his eggs, getting up and placing his plate in the sink.

Sophia raised an eyebrow "Now what are you in such a hurry for?" she asked, a smirk forming on her face "Want to see those two Pine twins before school starts?" **[5]**

Preston felt his face heat up "N-no…" he mumbled, shifting his gaze. That was half true. He wanted to see them, but that wasn't the reason why he was in such a big rush. Preston felt his blush die down and a smile slip onto his lips, looking up at his mom "Ms. Corduroy said that there was a new stock of science fiction novels in the library, and I want to get to school early so I can see if they're interesting," he explained.

Sophia giggled, walking up to her son and placing a small kiss on his temple "Alright," she said "Be good," she added. Preston smiled "Bye mom," he said, waving goodbye as he exited the kitchen "Oh, remember, I work later tonight, so I'll need you home to watch Pacifica," said Sophia, shuffling some things around in the kitchen.

Preston picked up his satchel that was by the front door. He opened it and pulled out his headphones "Okay. I should be home at my usual time then," he said, placing the headphones around his neck and plugging them into his phone. Preston closed his satchel and put the strap over his shoulder, adjusting it briefly before unlocking and opening the front door. He gave his mom one last smile "See you soon mom. Love you," he said, walking out into the cool morning breeze and shutting the door behind him. Preston put on his headphones, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his playlists. He tapped on one of the He Is We albums **[6]** his mom got him for his birthday, and tucked his phone in his jacket pocket. He walked down the steps of his front porch and began his walk to school.

He wasn't sure why, but he felt like something big was going to happen… Something that would change his life. For better or worse, he wasn't too sure.

 **[1] Yep, he needs glasses in this AU. Also, this story is going to focus more on Preston, his past, and his struggles to get past his crushes on the Pines twins, but it will dwindle in other side plots as well.**

 **[2] Sophia has curly, brown hair that she keeps tied back in a messy bun, tan skin, and brown eyes. She works the night shift at Greases Dinner so she can watch Preston's little sister during the day without having to pay for daycare.**

 **[3] You guessed it, he never did tie his shoes. Maybe he wouldn't be so clumsy if he actually tied his shoes…**

 **[4] Yep. Pacifica is Preston's sister. Prepare for adorable Pacifica and Preston in future chapters.**

 **[5] Preston his terrible** **at keeping secrets. Just in case you're wondering how his mom knows** **about his crushes. She's also got her mom senses** **to thank.**

 **[6] Not sure why, but we like to think that Preston listens He is We and other bands like them.**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

For some strange reason the day was going by slowly. Luckily Preston made it through his first two periods without embarrassing himself or getting distracted.

He had managed to check out a few of those science fiction books Ms. Corduroy had suggested him. Preston thanked her more times then was probably necessary, but she was probably one of the nicest people he'd ever met. She had called him adorable on more than one occasion, lightly punching him in the arm and telling him that she was messing with him. She had even said that he could call her Wendy **[1]** , but Preston refused, saying that it wasn't very polite to address her like that. Wendy just shook her head at him and gave him a soft smile as a reply.

Wendy was no ordinary librarian either. She was the kind of librarian that when someone was being too loud or disruptive she would be ten times as loud or disruptive. It made for a funny scene. What's even more funny is that no one was ever loud or disruptive again after a certain event involving silly string and toilet paper. Preston was surprised that she was never fired for that, but she cleaned it up with the help of a few teachers, who also enjoyed her company. It was extremely hard not to like Wendy. She was the coolest person on the face of the planet.

Preston entered his science class, feeling his breath catch in his throat.

Stanley and Stanford Pines had already arrived. They were seated in their usual seats; in front of the class beside each other, so the teacher could keep an eye on them **[2]**.

Stan, as usual, had his hair jelled back. His acne had cleared up a few weeks ago, leaving his face to show signs of having a light stubble that he constantly shaved so it would grow better. He was wearing a gray t-shirt with jeans and untied sneakers. Stan whistled a strange toon **[3]** and had his feet propped up onto the black table, rocking back and forth on his chairs hind legs. Preston was worried more than half the time that he would fall and crack his head open when he saw Stan doing that.

Ford had his face buried in a book, as usual. His hair was uncombed and messy, yet it still looked nice and presentable. He was wearing a red flannel shirt that was tucked into his pants (that Preston had to admit looked fantastic on him), jeans, and neatly tied sneakers. Ford had all his notes out and ready, gnawing on a red pen as he read his book. Preston was honestly surprised that Ford hadn't gotten ink poising yet.

The thought of asking them why they had come in so early crossed Preston's mind for a brief moment, until his shy side kicked in and he looked down at his shoes, feeling his face heat up.

Preston kept his head down as he walked past them, ignoring the way his heart beat quickened. He sat down at his seat in the very back of the class room, in front of one of the three fish tanks scattered around the class room, beside the window.

This was one of Preston's lest favorite classes. Not because he didn't like science, but because his crushes were in it. Both of them. Not just one. _Both_. Which means he gets extra distracted.

Students piled into the class room just in time for the late bell to ring.

The science teacher strolled in a few minutes later, a smug grin on his face.

"Late again," muttered one of the students.

"Fashionably late," the teacher corrected, causing the student to jump at the reply they were not expecting.

Preston shook his head _"I swear, it's like he can read thoughts,"_ he thought _"Although if that's the case, I'm surprised he hasn't said anything about my crushes…"_

Preston shook his head, clicking his pen, and jotting down the agenda that was on the board.

The teacher always wore strange attire. A yellow suite and black tie, that was put together, oddly, well. His hair was always sleeked back, reviling a tattoo on his forehead of a closed eye. His glasses were small and rectangular, with _yellow_ glass. _Yellow_. The right frame of his glasses had a black triangle in it.

His name was even more odd.

Bill Cipher.

Not to say that Bill is an odd name. No, the last name was the odd thing. Preston had never known anyone with a last name like Cipher. He even did some research himself and found no history involving that last name, unless you actually count the ciphers that he had found; like the atbash cipher, that he has gotten extremely well at using. So, well, in fact, that he absentmindedly writes his notes in the cipher.

Preston felt his face grow pale. He hadn't paid much attention to what was on the agenda, until two words caught his attention.

 _Group_. _Project_.

Preston was a shy person. So, shy that he didn't even know _anyone_ in the class. He gently lowered his head onto the table, feeling his eyes close as he let out an exasperated sigh "I'm so screwed…" he muttered.

Bill bit back a smirk. His ears could pick up the sound of a pin dropping in another room halfway across the school. As unbelievable as that sounds, it was a little gift he had. It's what made him such a good teacher. He could hear students muttering about how strange he was or the latest gossip on "Keepin' it up with the Kardashians" (a terrible show, Bill thought). He didn't pay much attention to that type of gossip.

While Bill was a very strange science teacher, he was always seen in a respectful way. Considering that the other science teacher was an insanely drunk man who didn't teach his students anything, saying that "School isn't a place for smart people **[4]**." That, Bill had to agree with him on.

Preston, though. Preston was a whole other story.

From the moment, he walked into Bills class, Bill wanted to know more about the kid. Sure, Ford had caught his attention to, but Preston. He was the interesting one. He paid close attention to him, watching his eyes linger on the Pines twins, or quickly walking past them without looking at them. Oh, that boy was in love. With both of them! That was the real kicker! And Bill made sure to do everything in his power to torment him with that information. Because, while Preston is busy with those two, he can actually gain some info on him through Preston's files.

He leaned against his desk "As you can all see on the board, I am assigning a group project." He heard a few people whisper a victorious 'yes.'

"I will be choosing your partners," Bill added, a grin forming on his face as the class irrupted with noises of disapproval and annoyance. Bill let out a chuckle "Relax, I made the project on something easy," he said "It's on any theory that you come up with. You can make up a theory and explain why you think it's a true theory."

The room was quiet, waiting for Bill to continue. With Bill, there was always a catch. But this time, Bill said nothing. No catch was to be had with this lovely project he was assigning, which surprised the students. Little did they know that Bill had an ace up his sleeve with this project.

Bill got up off his desk and picked up a pile of papers that were stacked beside him. He walked around the class room, handing everyone a slip of paper "The directions for the project are on this paper. If you have any questions feel free to ask me," he said.

Bill walked over to his desk and grabbed a clipboard that had all the groups he made the night previous written on it. He began to call them off, using the nicknames he gave all the students, because he refused to call everyone by their name. The strange thing is, it actually helped the students remember everyone's name.

Preston chewed the inside of his cheek, anxiety gripping at him. His mind raced with thoughts _"Would I like the people in my group? Would I get stuck doing all the work? Would they like me? Would I just fade into the background like always? Would…"_ His thoughts were cut short as he heard Bill call his nickname.

"Rich-boy **[5]** , you're with Sixer and Fez," he said.

Preston bit back screams of protests. Oh no, no, no, no, no, NO! Anyone but them! ANYONE BUT _THEM_! He wouldn't be surprised if he looked like a deer caught in headlights at that very moment. Preston could have sworn he saw the faintest of smirks on Bills face.

Bill continued to go down his list of groups, as if Preston hadn't been showing signs of a mantle breakdown.

After Bill finished reading off the list, he placed down his clipboard "Aright, now go meet with your groups and get to discussin'," he said, walking behind his desk and taking a seat in his leather chair, propping his feet up on the desk, leaning back, and resting his head in his hands.

Preston shuffled in his seat, debating on if he should go and talk to them. He had never actually talked to the Pines twins, he just observed them at a distance; which, know that he thinks about it, sounds oddly creepy. Preston let out a huff, gripping at the Northwest side in him. He was brave. He did not show weakness. Or at least, that's what his father had always told him to do.

He packed up his stuff, put on the strap of his satchel and walked over to the two twins. With each step, he felt his bravery slipping. His heart rate increased and his instincts were to run, but he couldn't do that. He would look like an idiot. And for the life of him, he would not embarrass himself in front of the people he was crushing on… Again **[6]** …

Preston offered them his best smile "H-hello," he greeted, his voice coming out in a squeak. Preston cursed himself for sounding so shy and ridicules.

Stan smiled "Hey, I don't believe we've met officially. Names Stanley," he said, holding out his hand.

Preston felt his lips twitch. He slowly extended his hand, shaking Stan's.

Stan whistled "Never expected you to have a grip like that," he commented "I would have thought it'd be all wimpy or somethin'," he added.

That caused Preston to lightly blushed "U-um… Thank…. Thank you?" he said, giving Stan a questioning look. It was the first time someone even acknowledged his firm handshake, which Sophia had said that he received from his father.

Ford smiled "Nice to meet you, I'm Stanford," he greeted, keeping his hands crossed behind his back.

Preston frowned lightly _"Aw… He's shy about his twelve fingers…"_ he thought. Preston offered them a shy smile "Nice to meet you both… I… I'm Preston," he said.

The three of them took a seat at the long black table that replaced the usual small desk.

Stan grinned "So, what do you think we should do for the project?" he asked, looking over at Preston.

It took Preston a few moments to realize that the question was directed towards him "O-oh… Um… I'm sure Stanford would have a better idea," he said "After all, Mr. Cipher had pointed out on more than one occasion that he has outstanding grades."

Ford smiled "You can just call me Ford," he said "And as much as I do have many ideas, I'd like to hear yours first."

Ford had told Stan before they met up with Preston that they should make a good first impression and try and be nice to the person they're partnered with. Granted they didn't know Preston that well, and they figured he'd just be like everyone else and treat the twins like crap. Boy, are they oblivious.

 _"_ _I'll just pretend they're my cousins,"_ Preston thought. It made it much easier to talk to them, and he found that the twins where a lot like his twin cousins.

Preston thought for a moment, scratching the back of his head and letting out a small "Hm." He snapped his fingers, a little trait he has. He would do it whenever he remembered something or had an idea "How about the multiverse theory!" he said, his excitement extremely evident.

Ford's eyes widen, a grin on his face "You know about the multiverse theory?!" he asked, a wave of excitement washing over him.

Stan rolled his eyes "Oh boy…" he muttered "Nerd talk that I won't understand in, three, two, one," Stan counted down.

Preston and Ford began to babble on and on about various things that Stan had no idea what they were or what their meaning was.

The class had gone by with little incident.

Preston, Stan, and Ford had discussed plans to meet up on Saturday to talk more about the theory at Preston's house since he had to watch Pacifica and it would just be easier for them to come over to his place.

Preston waved goodbye to the twins, a wave of excitement washing over him and he hurriedly began his walk to his fourth period. Something in him said that this wouldn't be all that bad. That this would be a good day after all.

 **[1] Wendy is a freakin' librarian. Deal with it. And she's one of the best friends that Preston has ever had.**

 **[2] Ooooohhhhh. Wonder who the teacher is…**

 **[3] If anyone askes, yes, he's whistling the Gravity Falls theme song.**

 **[4] Take a wild guess as to who that other science teacher is, kids (or teens… Or adults…)!**

 **[5] Fun Fact: Bills original nickname was going to be hipster, but we decided against it since it doesn't fit well. However, a few other people call him hipster.**

 **[6] That will be talked about later.**


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Preston let out a breath through his nose. He didn't have Stan or Ford in his history class, but he had to admit, it'd be nice for at least one of them to be here. It was pretty boring without them.

The history teacher wrote down notes on the board as he droned on and on about World War I.

"Psst," came a whisper from behind Preston "Hey, Pres-Pres."

Preston smiled lightly at the nickname and turned around to be met with bright blue eyes and short, black hair, with red streaks in it. He may be shy, but somehow, he still ended up making a friend in this class. Ryuko Matoi **[1]** was her name. She had transferred from Japan a few months ago, and she was still having some trouble with the English language; which lead her to require a tutor.

"Yes, Ryuko?" Preston asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuko smiled "Can I borrow a pencil?" she asked.

Preston nodded and began to dig through his satchel in search of a pencil "Finally taking notes?" he asked. Ryuko shook her head "Nope. I just need a distraction. If I don't distract myself, I'll end up falling asleep and the last thing I want is to get detention," she explained, shooting a glare at the history teacher.

Preston had always wondered why Ryuko didn't like the teacher, but he decided to leave it be. He assumed they must have known each other in the past and didn't get along all that well. Considering that the teacher was also a transfer form Japan.

Preston pulled out a mechanical pencil and handed it to Ryuko, letting out a small chuckle "I expected nothing more," he said. Ryuko took the pencil, giving Preston a wide grin "Thank you!" she said "Oh! I was also gonna ask if I could hang out at your place after school tomorrow," she said. Preston thought for a moment, wondering if it would be alright. He finally settled on "I'd have to ask my mom about it, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Ryuko, Preston, eyes on the board, please," came the teachers voice.

Ryuko rolled her eyes, muttering a "Yeah, yeah, whatever," as a reply.

"Sorry, Mr. Mikisugi **[2]** ," said Preston, quickly facing the board, a small wave of embarrassment washing over him. He placed his satchel back on the ground, under his desk, and picked up his pencil, quickly jotting down the notes on the board.

Aikuro Mikisugi was another strange teacher. Mostly because he was so boring. He never even did anything to wake up the kids that had fallen asleep during his class. Funny thing is, Wendy always mentions how cool he is. Which causes Preston to be even more confused, since he doesn't act cool at all during school hours.

Aikuro usually dressed plainly. Simple, white, button up shirt, dark dress pants, and black dress shoes; with messy hair that hung in his face, and big gray glasses that always hid his eyes.

Aikuro continued to write down information on the board, glancing down at a book he held in his hands as he did so.

After a few, long, minutes of writing down notes, Aikuro gave all the students time to pack up their things "We'll continue next class," he said to the students, who quickly put all their things together and chatted amongst themselves.

Preston packed up his stuff and made sure that it was all neatly organized so everything could fit. He still had to get a few things out of his locker for math, and he didn't want to have to carry them.

Preston pulled out his headphones and placed them around his neck, plugging them into his phone, and placing it in his jacket pocket. Ryuko grinned when she noticed the headphones "What kind of music are you going to listen to?" she asked. Preston shifted in his seat to face her "Nothing at the moment. But I'll probably listen to Goose House **[3]** ," he said. Ryuko raised an eyebrow "You listen to Goose House?" she asked. Preston rubbed the back of his neck, a wave of nervousness washing over him "Well… No, not really… Just one song…" he admitted. Ryuko let out a small "Huh," as a reply. She shuffled through her bag and pulled out her iPod "Ever listen to Vocaloid?" she asked. Preston responded with a nod "Yeah. They have really good songs," he said.

The bell rang, signaling that school was over.

Preston stood up, putting on the strap of his satchel "I have to stop by my locker," he said, looking over at Ryuko, who stood up and through her bag over her shoulder "Care to join me?" he asked. Ryuko rolled her eyes, letting out an over exaggerated sigh "If I _must_ ," she said. Preston shook his head, a light smile on his face. Had this been a few weeks ago, Preston would have gotten extremely worried, since he never had friends before, and wasn't used to sarcasm. Preston's sense of humor became more open after watching a certain YouTuber that people usually called a "cyberbully **[4]**."

Preston and Ryuko began their walk to Preston's locker. Chatting happily about the day's events and what they planned to do after school. Preston even mentioned the project for science. That ended up gaining him a light punch in the arm with a "'Bout time you made more friends," from Ryuko.

Once they got to Preston's locker, he put in the combination, opened it, and began to pull out the stuff he needed.

"Hey, Preston," came two synchronized voices.

Preston jumped slightly and turned to where the voices came from. No doubt, it was Stan and Ford. They waved at him from their lockers that were a few feet away from his.

Preston blushed lightly, returning the wave, and repeating to himself over and over again that he will react normally "Good thanks." Well… So much for that.

Stan bit back a laugh and Ford raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

Preston mentally facepalmed "I-I mean… Uh… Hey! See you later… Tomorrow… Uh… Yeah… Dates, numbers… And stuff…" Dear god, Preston felt stupid. He was mentally screaming at himself to shut up and stop talking. Luckily he managed to stop talking before he managed to embarrass himself further. Stan and Ford waved goodbye as they began to walk out the school doors, shaking their heads, with their smiles still on their faces.

Preston wanted to crawl in a hole and die. He was sure that he just ruined any chance he had with the twins. Sure, there was a possible friendship, but he wouldn't be surprised if that was gone by now. Considering that he just made himself look like an idiot and there's no way that the Pines twins would ever want to hang out with someone like him.

Ryuko raised an eyebrow "What was that about?" she asked, shifting her gaze to Preston. She didn't know much about Preston, but she knew what love looked like when she saw it. Preston blushed, turning to face her "Nothing!" he said "Uh– I don't wanna talk about it! Talk about what?! Is it hot in here?" he babbled, tugging at his jacket and feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Ryuko squinted her eyes "Wait a second…" she began "I think I have an idea happening here…" Ryuko pointed at Preston "You…"

Preston quickly cut in "No!"

Ryuko acted as though he said nothing and pointed in the direction the Pines twins walked off in "And them…"

"Stop!" Preston pleaded, covering his face with his hands. He could feel it burning five shades of red.

Ryuko gasped "You have a thing for the Pines twins!" she exclaimed, her voice dumbing down to a whisper so she wouldn't spill his secret.

Preston sighed and rubbed the back of his head, his blush dying down "I mean… I'll admit, it'd be nice to date them…" he mumbled "But let's face it… I'm way out of their league," he said, looking in the direction Stan and Ford had walked off in "Stan is a boxing champion who is strong and confident. He's been asked out by more than one girl, so he's probably not even gay," he said, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him at the thought "And Ford is nice, kind, smart, and he can build so many cool things. Plus, he's way more confident than I am, and he's strong and neat. He's probably not even gay either." Preston looked down at himself, suddenly feeling even more self-conscious then before "And I'm… I'm just plain old Preston."

Ryuko wrapped an arm around Preston's shoulder, tugging him close "Preston Northwest, you are a shy, nerdy, self-conscious, hormone filled teenager…" she began, poking him in the chest "But we will get those Pines twins to notice you! Because nothing is stronger than the power of- !"

"Love?" Preston cut in, giving Ryuko a questioning look.

"Ryuko!"

 **-O-O-O-O-**

Preston walked up the steps leading to his house and opened the front door "I'm home!" he called out, shutting the door behind him.

"Peton!" came an excited voice, along with the sound of small footsteps tapping on the wooden living room floor.

Before Preston had time to put down his things, Pacifica ran up to him, tugging at his pant leg and holding out one of her hands "Upty! I wan upty!" she said, gripping at the air in a "pick me up" fashion.

Pacifica's hair was short, blond, and tied up into pigtails. She was wearing a purple shirt with a glittery design on it and a pink tutu. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with happiness and excitement at seeing her older brother coming home so early.

Sophia entered the room wearing her waitress outfit; a red skirt that stopped at the knees, with a white button up shirt that she kept tucked in, and a black apron tied around her waist. She flashed Preston a smile "Pacifica, let your poor brother put his stuff down first," she said, picking up Pacifica, who was making noises of protest, and hold Pacifica in her arms.

"I wan Peton!" Pacifica grumbled in annoyance, holding out her arms to her brother with a pout on her face.

While Pacifica loved her mom with all her heart, she never got to see Preston all that much, so she was always excited to see him when he got home. Sophia knew this, but Preston had a hard time understanding why Pacifica wanted to see him so much in the first place. Sophia always said "You're her older brother. Her only sibling. She wants to spend time with you and she gets upset when you leave."

Preston chuckled "Well, it's nice to see you to, Paz," he said, taking off his satchel and placing it by the door. He took off his headphones and placed them on top of his satchel, being sure to unplug them from his phone. Pacifica giggled "Note! Note!" she said, pointing to her nose. Preston knew exactly what she was asking. It was how mom had taught him to ask for things when he was little. Preston smiled lightly and placed a kiss on Pacifica's nose, causing her to erupt in giggles.

Sophia handed Pacifica to Preston; Pacifica practically latching onto her brother and wrapping her arms around his neck. Preston took Pacifica in his arms, shifting her around so he could hold her more comfortably.

Sophia walked into the kitchen, with Preston following close behind.

Sophia walked over to the counter and picked up her purse "Leftovers are in the fridge, or you can order a pizza," she said. She continued to move around the kitchen, grabbing various items that she needed for work "Pacifica had a late lunch, so she might not be hungry right away." Sophia grabbed her keys off the table "So it's okay if you wait a little while," she said. Sophia let out a sigh, doing one last look around to see if she missed anything. She nodded when she was positive she didn't miss anything. She turned to face Preston, a smile on her face "Remember, bath at seven, bed at nine," she said.

Preston nodded "Yes, ma'am," he said, a smile on his face.

Sophia walked up to her two kids and placed a kiss on Pacifica's forehead, then placed a kiss on Preston's temple "Be good you two," she said, exiting the kitchen. She walked over by the door and put on her red flats.

Preston turned to face her, waving goodbye "See you in the morning," he said. Pacifica waved "Bye-bye mama!" she said, a smile on her face. Sophia smiled "Je t'aime **[5]**. No wild parties," she said, opening the door behind her and exiting the house.

There was a light click of the lock sliding into place.

Preston looked down at Pacifica "What do you want to eat?" he asked. Pacifica blinked "Giwwed tee!" she said, smiling. Preston looked over at the fridge "I don't think we have any…" he said. Pacifica pointed to the stove "Mae!" she said. Preston shook his head "Sorry to inform you Paz, but I can't cook," he said. Pacifica crossed her arms, a pout on her face "Wie," she mumbled. Preston sighed in defeat "Alright, fine, I'll make you a grilled cheese," he said, earning a victorious "Yay!" from Pacifica. Preston placed Pacifica down "You can go watch TV in the meantime," he said.

Pacifica skipped off into the living room, plopping herself down on the floor and continuing to watch _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ on the small TV that was in the living room.

Preston's family wasn't all that rich, so his mom made sure to by the cheapest things possible. The money left over would go, either to Preston's college fund, or a savings account for emergency's.

Preston pulled out what he needed for the grilled cheese and began to make it. He settled on only making two, just in case Pacifica wanted one more. He would have leftovers. No matter how much he didn't like eating leftovers, he didn't like wasting them either.

After dinner, Preston gave Pacifica her bath; which ended up getting his shirt soaked because Pacifica insisted that he play magical ponies with her. Preston nearly freaked out when he saw her eat one of the bubbles in the bath. He calmed himself though, by saying things like "You've done it before, it's no big deal." However, he still couldn't help but worry.

It made him remember the time he nearly had a heart attack when he saw Pacifica eat dirt. Sophia only laughed, shaking her head and saying things like "She's fine," and "You don't need to worry." This gave Preston the title of "The worried older brother," which Preston didn't mind all that much. He loved Pacifica, and he promised to look after her, since no one was ever there to look after him. Granted he had is mom, but she couldn't always be around; and his dad was busy all the time. It had been a rarity for them to even have dinner together. He wondered if that's why his parents got divorced sometimes. Funny thing is, Pacifica is his biological sister. She's not half; she's his full-blooded sister. She didn't come around until he was thirteen. His parents long since separated (they got a divorce around the time Preston was five). So, Preston assumed they tried to make up, or his dad tried to fix the mistake he made. The mistake being Preston. Though Preston never said how he felt outloud.

When nine o'clock rolled around, Preston picked up Pacifica and told her it was time for bed. Shortly after he said this, screams of protest followed, with Pacifica saying that she wasn't tired or she didn't want to go to bed. Preston sighed, keeping a tight grip on her as he walked up the stairs "You know when you get older you will regret not going to bed when you did," he mumbled "Because when you're older you don't get to sleep."

Preston put her down on her bed and tucked her in. By this time, she had tired herself out with all her kicking and screaming. As Preston was just about to leave, Pacifica grabbed at his sleeve "Tong," she mumbled, her eyes droopy with sleep. Preston knelt down on the floor beside her bed "What song?" he asked. Pacifica yawned "Mama tong," she mumbled, sleep suddenly gripping at her. Preston raised an eyebrow "What's mom's song?" he asked. Pacifica pointed to a little music box on top of her dresser "Mama tong," she repeated. Preston got up off the floor and walked over to the dresser, picking up the music box. He twisted the metal handle on the side of the box. A little tone began to play, one Preston found very familiar. Preston placed the music box down and walked over to Pacifica, kneeling down beside her bed. He took a deep breath, and began to sing.

 _"_ _Let's go in the garden._

 _You'll find something waiting_

 _Right there where you left it_

 _Lying upside down."_

Pacifica yawned, curling up into her pink blankets.

 _"_ _When you finally find it,_

 _You'll see how it's faded._

 _The underside is lighter_

 _When you turn it around."_

Pacifica clutched at her favorite stuffed bunny and felt her eyelids growing heavy.

 _"_ _Everything stays_

 _Right where you left it._

 _Everything stays,_

 _But it still changes._

 _Ever so slightly,_

 _Daily and nightly,_

 _In little ways,_

 _When everything stays."_ **[6]**

Preston swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and felt tears burn at the corner of his eyes. He blinked them back and stood up. He gave Pacifica a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. That song brought back to many memories.

Preston shook his head "I should get to bed," he mumbled, opening the door to his room "I've got school in the morning..."

 **[1] We aren't sure why, but we've had it stuck in our had that Kill La Kill should show up in a Gravity Falls universe or something, and you know what, we decided to do it. What do you guy's (or girl's) thing? Yes? No? Maybe so?**

 **[2] Another Kill La Kill character! Wahoo! We love this guy.**

 **[3] Goose House is a Japanese music group, in case anyone was curious.**

 **[4] That's right, leafyishere joined this universe! Please don't hate us for mentioning him. We know how over dramatic people can be and just stop reading a story all together when someone is mentioned that they don't like. If it helps, he isn't even in this all that much. Just a few references to his videos is all.**

 **[5] Je t'aime means "I love you," in French. We would like to say that Sophia is not French, however she does know bits and pieces of the language. Due to not using it as often as she used to, she's forgotten a lot.**

 **[6] We're ashamed ot say we haven't had time to watch Adventure Time (please don't hurt us we're weak)** **, but we plan to watch it as soon as we finish Clarence. We just love this song to much, so we decided to make it a lullaby that Sophia sings to her kids.**

 **For some reason, we don't like how this chapter turned out… What do you guy's (or girl's) thing? Was it good? Or could th** **ere be room for improvement? We feel like something is missing, but we're not sure what.**


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